[Fumblerooskies]

Sic 'em, Matt...

Liberty Counsel
NEWS RELEASE
Contact: PUBLIC RELATIONS DEPARTMENT - 800-671-1776

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 2, 2007

The NFL’s Heavy-Handed Attempt to Silence Churches is Out of Bounds
Miami, FL – The NFL’s heavy-handed attempt to prohibit churches from showing the Super Bowl to church members defies common sense. The NFL demanded that Fall Creek Baptist Church in Indianapolis, Indiana, cancel its advertised Super Bowl party. In addition to objecting to the church’s use of the words “Super Bowl” in promotions, the league objected to use of a screen larger than 55 inches and disliked the church’s plans to show a video highlighting the Christian testimonies of Colts coach Tony Dungy and Chicago Bears coach Lovie Smith.

The NFL freely admits it routinely makes exceptions for bars and other commercial establishments to show its games with big screen televisions and projection systems. Liberty Counsel characterized this unnecessary singling out of churches as heavy-handed and unfair. The NFL has publicly stated a preference for establishments that sell alcohol over churches hosting a wholesome, family-oriented gathering to watch the biggest football game of the year. With the popularity of big screen TVs and home entertainment, the NFL’s heavy-handed intimidation tactics cross the line into private homes. Will the NFL demand that viewing the Super Bowl at home with friends must be done on screens smaller than 55 inches? This is certainly not the intent of copyright laws, and such tactics by the NFL run afoul of common sense and the spirit of the game.

Mathew D. Staver, Founder of Liberty Counsel and Dean of Liberty University School of Law, commented: “People throughout the world gather to watch the greatest athletic event of the year. Some view the game on small screens and some on large screens. When cars gather outside our private homes on Sunday afternoon, will the NFL knock on the door and ask to measure our TV screens? It appears that in the NFL’s way of thinking, TV screens bigger than 55 inches are fine for bars but not churches. This discriminatory and nonsensical act of the NFL makes the league look petty, and the NFL should apologize for this silliness.”

http://lc.org/pressrelease/2007/nr020207.htm

[Sly Fox]

How did I know this would become a paragraph in the National Liberty Journal?

[PAmedic]

am not even remotely surprised

he makes an emotional point, but I fear LIB is correct in the assertion that, TECHICNALLY, the NFL is on the legal high ground here.

Its still crap though

[Purple Haize]

Oh yippee my favorite people. The NFL has every legal right to do this. However, what do you think the odds are that NFL Vice will show up on the church door and arrest everyone? This type of thing goes in the same category as LU and R rated movies (Could Movies 10 survive if LU students didn't go), "friendly wagers" on the "Big Game" (100 million legally bet VS 1 billion "not so legally bet" are the estimates), NCAA tournament pools (remember gambling on sports in ONLY legal in Nevada, not including horses and dogs)
I think the NFL's biggest beef was with the use of Super Bowl in advertising. Had the church said "Big Game" I am more than certain that the NFL would not have noticed or made a stink about it. If the church was smart they would say "OK Super Bowl party has been cancelled, we have rescheduled tonites' service to include the opportunity to view The Big Game". It is more the NFL trying to protect their brand than any type of religious persecution.

[El Scorcho]

I have no problem with the branding issue behind the Super Bowl name, though I don't think it's in the league's best interest to push it the way they have. Still their right.

The problem I have with this is the league re-asserting that you can't have "mass out-of-home viewings" on screens larger than 55 inches, even where no fees are being charged for viewing. I don't think they have a legal leg to stand on there, and I'd love to see it go to court.

[thepostman]

Oh how I love the Liberty Counsel...oh wait...no I don't

they have done some good things I am sure...but they always make Christians look like idiots

with that said the NFL has made themselves look like idiots as well

[El Scorcho]

Pastor Mark Miller, of Indian Creek Christian Church in Indianapolis, said his church's party was cancelled, but when he heard from WND the NFL was committed to being flexible, said it would depend on whether the youth ministry team could re-group – again – that fast.

He said one of the issues raised by the NFL earlier, but not even addressed in the policy or the later statement, was a coordination of any other message with the game.

"We were told that any kind of message couldn't be used in conjunction with the game," he told WND. Given the fact that both of the coaches in this weekend's extravaganza have made statements of personal Christian faith, he said, that was a concern.

Nope. There was no "persecution" at all.

That's the relevant excerpt from a much longer article where the NFL has now flipped on the 55" inches or larger policy, as well as allowing "mass out-of-home" viewings as long as people aren't charging admission. They're still not flipping on tying "any other message" to the game, though.

Call Liberty Council idiots if you must, but I think the league overstepped their bounds.

[El Scorcho]

The NFL pressing on the church aside, it turns out that the law is actually on their side when it comes to the 55" screen part. According to US Code Title 17, Chapter 1, Section 110, 5,B, i, II which describes what isn’t allowed under copyright code:

(II) if the performance or display is by audiovisual means, any visual portion of the performance or display is communicated by means of a total of not more than 4 audiovisual devices, of which not more than 1 audiovisual device is located in any 1 room, and no such audiovisual device has a diagonal screen size greater than 55 inches, and any audio portion of the performance or display is communicated by means of a total of not more than 6 loudspeakers, of which not more than 4 loudspeakers are located in any 1 room or adjoining outdoor space;

I think that this law was written at a time when 55 inch screens being commonplace seemed unthinkable, but at the same time, it's still the law. (See the portion on audio to prove this point. 5.1 sound is so common now that almost every audio system today has more than 4 loudspeakers in the same room.) I think the league is being ridiculous for enforcing it on those who aren't profiting from showing the game, but again, it appears the law of this country is on their side when it comes to the size of our screens.

[PAmedic]

again- technology outpaces the law.

gonna be a bigger and bigger problem as the years go by

[PeterParker]

The law is what it is (even though it undoubtedly needs to be reexamined); however, it's the PR gaffe of the thing that the NFL powers that seem to be overlooking--the unnecessary and not universal application between the for-profit business showing it and the non-profits showing it. Kind of like the instances of LU's PR gaffes, holding to the letter of being "right" at the expense of the public goodwill. I have to say that on this, I think the NFL, though technically legally correct is making a huge PR blunder and mistake, especially concerning the public goodwill of a large portion of the fan base.


On the Liberty Counsel thing, there was an entire back and forth thread about them in relation to the W&M thing concerning the intertwining of the Counsel and the Law School in the public perception. However, I am still leary of the Liberty Counsel/LU bedfellow arrangement. Lately, the two have become even more synonymous. (Taken from that thread.)


http://www.nljonline.com/index.php?opti ... 4&Itemid=0

***Note that I do not have problems with the Liberty Counsel pursuing its mission statement (although I wouldn't mind it not being named the same as my alma mater); I would simply like more separation between the entities.

Liberty Raised to Higher Power

We are back with additional strategic operations. This new office will provide greater opportunities to craft national public policy, monitor judicial appointments, network, coordinate and strategize with policymakers and world leaders. As I see it, we now have a three-fold cord, which includes Liberty University, Liberty Counsel and Liberty Alliance (also known as the Moral Majority Coalition). In a very real sense, we now have Liberty raised to the third power (Liberty3 ), or what I sometimes refer to as “Liberty raised to a Higher Power.”


...Another foundation established last year that will bear great fruit in 2007 involves Liberty University School of Law and Liberty Counsel. Last year, I assumed the role as dean of the School of Law. My highly capable wife Anita became the president of Liberty Counsel.


The net result is that both Liberty Counsel and the Liberty University School of Laware in a better position to train new lawyers to defend religious freedom, the sanctity of human life and the traditional family.

[Sly Fox]

When I perform my communications consulting we always tell our high profile clients there are two primary concerns:

1. Court of Law
2. Court of Public Opinion

When you are the business of selling something to the general public like the NFL essentially is, the latter is far more important than the former. But when you have a team of attorneys surrounding an organization trying to prove their worth by picking on easy targets they can't resist.

[bigsmooth]

liberty counsel..enough already!

[RagingTireFire]

How long before Liberty Counsel gets involved in the Anna Nicole Smith saga? Bets anyone?

[mrmacphisto]

How long before Liberty Counsel gets involved in the Anna Nicole Smith saga? Bets anyone?

I'd say as soon as Rosie O'Donnell files for adoption of her baby.

[mrmacphisto]

Pastor Mark Miller, of Indian Creek Christian Church in Indianapolis, said his church's party was cancelled, but when he heard from WND the NFL was committed to being flexible, said it would depend on whether the youth ministry team could re-group – again – that fast.

He said one of the issues raised by the NFL earlier, but not even addressed in the policy or the later statement, was a coordination of any other message with the game.

"We were told that any kind of message couldn't be used in conjunction with the game," he told WND. Given the fact that both of the coaches in this weekend's extravaganza have made statements of personal Christian faith, he said, that was a concern.

That is interesting. I wonder how much they're going to fine coach Dungy.